| State Road 6563 | |
|---|---|
| Sunspot Scenic Byway | |
| Route information | |
| Maintained by NMDOT | |
| Length: | 15.530 mi[1] (24.993 km) |
| Major junctions | |
| South end: | Sacramento Peak National Solar Observatory |
| North end: | NM 130 near Cloudcroft |
| Location | |
| Counties: | Otero |
| Highway system | |
State Road 6563, also known as the Sunspot Scenic Byway,[2] is a 15.530-mile (24.993 km) long two-lane state highway in Otero County, New Mexico, United States.
Contents |
NM 6563 begins at the National Solar Observatory at Sunspot in the Lincoln National Forest. [3]
NM 6563 is one of only three four-digit state highways in New Mexico (the others being SR 1113 and SR 5001).[1] It takes its number from the wavelength (6563 Å) used by scientists at the observatory to locate areas of interest on the Sun.
The solar observatory added signs along the highway in 2011 with the names of the planets as part of a 1:250 million model of the distances between planets in the Solar System.[4]
The highway was designated a National Forest scenic byway on October 6, 1990.[5]
The entire route is located in Otero County.
| Location | Mile[1] | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.000 | NM 130 (Cox Canyon Highway) – Cloudcroft, Mayhill | Southern terminus | ||
| Sunspot | 15.530 | Sacramento Peak National Solar Observatory | Northern terminus | |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | ||||